DHL Supports Historic Search for Amelia Earhart's Missing Aircraft

• DHL Express is the Official Logistics Partner of the Taraia Object Expedition
• Transports specialized equipment to remote Pacific destination as researchers search for answers to 89-year-old aviation mystery

PLANTATION, Fla., Oct. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Nearly nine decades after Amelia Earhart disappeared while attempting to become the first woman to fly around the world, DHL, the world's leading provider of international express shipping services, is helping advance a new expedition to one of the most remote locations in the South Pacific in search of the aircraft that vanished with her.

As the Official Logistics Partner of the Taraia Object Expedition, DHL is transporting more than 1,650 pounds of specialized equipment and supplies to Kiribati for researchers investigating a submerged object that could be the wreckage of Earhart's Lockheed Electra 10-E. Co-partners leading the expedition include Purdue University and the Archaeological Legacy Institute.

The expedition will travel to Nikumaroro, a tiny, uninhabited atoll in the Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, roughly halfway between Australia and Hawaii. Researchers will investigate the "Taraia Object," a visual anomaly in the island's lagoon that they believe could be the remains of Earhart's aircraft.

Earhart, one of the most celebrated aviators of the 20th century, disappeared on July 2, 1937, while flying from Lae, New Guinea, toward Howland Island during her attempt to circumnavigate the globe. Despite decades of searches, her plane has never been definitively located, making her disappearance one of aviation's enduring mysteries.

"This is a remarkable opportunity for DHL to be part of aviation history," said Greg Hewitt, CEO, DHL Express U.S. "Nearly 90 years after Amelia Earhart's plane disappeared, researchers are still working to find answers. As the Official Logistics Partner of the Taria Object Expedition, our role is to get the technology and specialized equipment behind that effort where they need to be. That is what logistics is all about -- connecting people and resources, even when the destination is one of the most remote places on Earth."

DHL is transporting three shipments comprising 33 boxes, bags and tubs and more than 100 individual items, totaling 1,650 pounds of equipment, from Eugene, Oregon, and Pensacola, Florida, to Bonriki International Airport in Tarawa, Kiribati.

The shipments include underwater drones, side-scan sonar, magnetometers, diving equipment, GPS and navigation systems, solar panels, communications technology, environmental monitoring equipment and field supplies.

DHL teams at the shipping locations worked directly with the Taraia Object Expedition team to prepare and inspect the equipment, including addressing special transportation requirements for lithium batteries and other regulated components. DHL then coordinated a combination of DHL-operated and commercial flights through the United States and onward to Tarawa, working with teams in Los Angeles and across its Americas and Asia Pacific network.

From Tarawa, the expedition team is expected to travel by sea to Nikumaroro, bringing the equipment and supplies needed to operate in the remote field environment.

"Behind every major expedition is a logistics operation that most people never see," said Hewitt. "Our teams are navigating everything from specialized equipment and regulatory requirements to multiple origins and a remote final destination, so the expedition team can focus on the search."

Once on Nikumaroro, researchers will use remote sensing technology, magnetometers, sonar and underwater excavation to investigate the Taraia Object and search the surrounding area for additional evidence.

For nearly 90 years, Amelia Earhart's disappearance has captured the imagination of people around the world. DHL's support brings its global logistics expertise to a mission that combines exploration, technology and aviation history in the search for answers to one of the world's most enduring mysteries.

Media Contact:
DHL Express
Media Relations
Robert Mintz
E-mail: [email protected] 

SOURCE DHL